Brexit.

[johnnycool]

Boris's Brexit plan is just to remove backstop from Withdrawal Agreement. No more and no less.

Will the EU budge in October to get a deal done?

I think he will go for a NI only backstop. The EU would be happy with this also. The DUP obviously won't but they will be under the bus at that stage.

How does he get his deal with a NI only backstop through parliament?

That's the £1Billion pound question.

This is a staggering level of ignorance of the DUP and their position. They will never (and never is a long time) accept an NI only backstop. 1 billion. 10 billion, 100 billion! Doesn't matter!
So given Parliaments arithmetic, I will ask again. How does he get his deal with a NI only backstop through Parliament?

He is already working on an electrol pact with the Brexit Party. He will call a general election where the Brexit party will attack Labour held leave seats. Then will hope for a majority or even get the backing from new Brexit party MPs instead of the DUP MPs.

I'm not so sure. He hasn't even won the Conservative leadership race and I haven't heard about this pact with Brexit party anywhere.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/06/16/exclusive-conservative-donors-open-secret-talks-nigel-farage/

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tory-donors-in-secret-talks-16529947

https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1141248/Brexit-latest-Nigel-Farage-news-Tory-donor-talks-general-election-pact-Brexit-party

https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/brexit-party-claim-talks-with-tory-donors-1-6036368

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9309594/tories-pact-nigel-farage-general-election-johnson/

Your welcome.

I would invite you to read the content of those articles. They don't amount to a hill of beans.

A source close to the talks told the newspaper they were "very preliminary", adding "you have to get Boris on board and that is going to be very tricky".
Boris Johnson ally James Cleverly played down talk of a pact today but didn't rule one out.
He said Mr Johnson didn't make pacts as Mayor of London so "I can't imagine" he will do so now.

If the Tories entered into an electoral pact with the Brexit party it would be electoral suicide.
The DUP will never support a NI only backstop. There is no price that they would consider. Anyone who thinks there is, is deluded.

Wake up man.  Could you provide any examples of instances when the DUP's position could not be moved when money was waved in front of them?  Because I can provide countless examples where the opposite is true.  Paisley, the devout Christian that he is, championed the cause of a blatantly anti-Christian government when they offered him a couple of nice holidays!

Anyway, I suspect that money might not be required.  The DUP will agree to this when they finally wake up to the reality that the alternative (in the medium term) is likely to be the reunification of Ireland.

It'll be easier for them also if they've some way of saving face around the backstop, a change of name or whatever.

A few Lordships or whatever are easy got from the Tories as well.

[trailer]

Boris's Brexit plan is just to remove backstop from Withdrawal Agreement. No more and no less.

Will the EU budge in October to get a deal done?

I think he will go for a NI only backstop. The EU would be happy with this also. The DUP obviously won't but they will be under the bus at that stage.

How does he get his deal with a NI only backstop through parliament?

That's the £1Billion pound question.

This is a staggering level of ignorance of the DUP and their position. They will never (and never is a long time) accept an NI only backstop. 1 billion. 10 billion, 100 billion! Doesn't matter!
So given Parliaments arithmetic, I will ask again. How does he get his deal with a NI only backstop through Parliament?

He is already working on an electrol pact with the Brexit Party. He will call a general election where the Brexit party will attack Labour held leave seats. Then will hope for a majority or even get the backing from new Brexit party MPs instead of the DUP MPs.

I'm not so sure. He hasn't even won the Conservative leadership race and I haven't heard about this pact with Brexit party anywhere.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/06/16/exclusive-conservative-donors-open-secret-talks-nigel-farage/

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tory-donors-in-secret-talks-16529947

https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1141248/Brexit-latest-Nigel-Farage-news-Tory-donor-talks-general-election-pact-Brexit-party

https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/brexit-party-claim-talks-with-tory-donors-1-6036368

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9309594/tories-pact-nigel-farage-general-election-johnson/

Your welcome.

I would invite you to read the content of those articles. They don't amount to a hill of beans.

A source close to the talks told the newspaper they were "very preliminary", adding "you have to get Boris on board and that is going to be very tricky".
Boris Johnson ally James Cleverly played down talk of a pact today but didn't rule one out.
He said Mr Johnson didn't make pacts as Mayor of London so "I can't imagine" he will do so now.

If the Tories entered into an electoral pact with the Brexit party it would be electoral suicide.
The DUP will never support a NI only backstop. There is no price that they would consider. Anyone who thinks there is, is deluded.

Wake up man.  Could you provide any examples of instances when the DUP's position could not be moved when money was waved in front of them?  Because I can provide countless examples where the opposite is true.  Paisley, the devout Christian that he is, championed the cause of a blatantly anti-Christian government when they offered him a couple of nice holidays!

Anyway, I suspect that money might not be required.  The DUP will agree to this when they finally wake up to the reality that the alternative (in the medium term) is likely to be the reunification of Ireland.

Ok. Whatever. The DUP will wake up and agree. We'll go with that idea sure.

[bennydorano]

With the current Parliamentary arithmetic I cant see why the DUP are going to be suddenly converted, some people obviously haven't being paying attention as to what's been going on the past year, they have rebuffed all threats & bribes. They will crash & burn everything and bring the Government down if needs be. Boris would throw the DUP under the bus at the first available opportunity, he'll need an election victory / pact to achieve that. It's all fantasy politics at this stage. He could go the polls fairly sharpish as the longer he's in power the more people will realise what a clown he is.

[Franko]

Boris's Brexit plan is just to remove backstop from Withdrawal Agreement. No more and no less.

Will the EU budge in October to get a deal done?

I think he will go for a NI only backstop. The EU would be happy with this also. The DUP obviously won't but they will be under the bus at that stage.

How does he get his deal with a NI only backstop through parliament?

That's the £1Billion pound question.

This is a staggering level of ignorance of the DUP and their position. They will never (and never is a long time) accept an NI only backstop. 1 billion. 10 billion, 100 billion! Doesn't matter!
So given Parliaments arithmetic, I will ask again. How does he get his deal with a NI only backstop through Parliament?

He is already working on an electrol pact with the Brexit Party. He will call a general election where the Brexit party will attack Labour held leave seats. Then will hope for a majority or even get the backing from new Brexit party MPs instead of the DUP MPs.

I'm not so sure. He hasn't even won the Conservative leadership race and I haven't heard about this pact with Brexit party anywhere.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/06/16/exclusive-conservative-donors-open-secret-talks-nigel-farage/

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tory-donors-in-secret-talks-16529947

https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1141248/Brexit-latest-Nigel-Farage-news-Tory-donor-talks-general-election-pact-Brexit-party

https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/brexit-party-claim-talks-with-tory-donors-1-6036368

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9309594/tories-pact-nigel-farage-general-election-johnson/

Your welcome.

I would invite you to read the content of those articles. They don't amount to a hill of beans.

A source close to the talks told the newspaper they were "very preliminary", adding "you have to get Boris on board and that is going to be very tricky".
Boris Johnson ally James Cleverly played down talk of a pact today but didn't rule one out.
He said Mr Johnson didn't make pacts as Mayor of London so "I can't imagine" he will do so now.

If the Tories entered into an electoral pact with the Brexit party it would be electoral suicide.
The DUP will never support a NI only backstop. There is no price that they would consider. Anyone who thinks there is, is deluded.

Wake up man.  Could you provide any examples of instances when the DUP's position could not be moved when money was waved in front of them?  Because I can provide countless examples where the opposite is true.  Paisley, the devout Christian that he is, championed the cause of a blatantly anti-Christian government when they offered him a couple of nice holidays!

Anyway, I suspect that money might not be required.  The DUP will agree to this when they finally wake up to the reality that the alternative (in the medium term) is likely to be the reunification of Ireland.

Ok. Whatever. The DUP will wake up and agree. We'll go with that idea sure.

I suspect they've already woken up.  I think they're looking for any excuse to change but they just can't be seen to do such a blatant u-turn.

Reckon it'll play out like JC has said.  A few titles, a few quid, a bit of fancy re-wording and hey presto.

[ardtole]

Didn't 3 of them in the more marginal constitunies, already do a bit off a tactical back step around 3 months ago, when there was a threat of an election at one stage.

[BennyHarp]

Brexit has almost created the perfect storm for a united Ireland. Created and fast tracked by the ignorance and intransigence of the DUP who have made the fatal mistake of thinking they could play the game of Westminster politics alongside the right wing of Tory Party and in doing so voting against a deal which would have best served the interests of their wee country. I believe Boris would quite happily cut NI free if it means he saves face and gets his Brexit deal done by Oct 31st. Crucially, then the reunification has not be forced upon the Unionist community by an Irish Government, a republican army, a divisive north south referendum or even a faster breeding nationalist population but by the UK Government to whom they pledged their support. I am quite possibly losing the run of myself here but it could be very sweet indeed..

[Tubberman]

A UI created without the consent of a sizeable majority of the combined communities of the North would not be sweet for anyone on the island.

[BennyHarp]

A UI created without the consent of a sizeable majority of the combined communities of the North would not be sweet for anyone on the island.

The circumstances would leave it difficult for the DUP to stoke partitionist rhetoric. How could they argue for a union that doesn't want them and has shafted them on a monumental scale. This is why I suggested it might be sweet - hoist with their own petard and all that. 

[bennydorano]

Boris apparently refusing to take part in Sky's leaders debate on Tuesday night! Now that could have ramifications. (Cops were called to his girlfriend's flat Thursday night in a domestic abuse call! )

[bennydorano]

BBC News - Boris Johnson: Police 'called to Tory leadership contender's home'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48721211

[Rossfan]

A UI created without the consent of a sizeable majority of the combined communities of the North would not be sweet for anyone on the island.

The circumstances would leave it difficult for the DUP to stoke partitionist rhetoric. How could they argue for a union that doesn't want them and has shafted them on a monumental scale. This is why I suggested it might be sweet - hoist with their own petard and all that.

The DUP are as much "Ulster Nationalists" as they are to the union with Britain, and would have stronger loyalties to the English monarchy that the Houses of Parliament. If the worst came to the worst for them, I would not be shocked to see them try to form an independent state or crown dependency  (like the Isle of Mann or Guernsey or Jersey) with the English monarch being either head of state or some similar royal title.

That might have been slightly possible when Uniomists were a 2 to 1 majority.
No chance now with Nationalists/ Unionists  virtually level plus about 15 to 20% non aligned, not to mention the GFA and 2 Governments.

[trailer]

Boris's Brexit plan is just to remove backstop from Withdrawal Agreement. No more and no less.

Will the EU budge in October to get a deal done?

I think he will go for a NI only backstop. The EU would be happy with this also. The DUP obviously won't but they will be under the bus at that stage.

How does he get his deal with a NI only backstop through parliament?

That's the £1Billion pound question.

This is a staggering level of ignorance of the DUP and their position. They will never (and never is a long time) accept an NI only backstop. 1 billion. 10 billion, 100 billion! Doesn't matter!
So given Parliaments arithmetic, I will ask again. How does he get his deal with a NI only backstop through Parliament?

He is already working on an electrol pact with the Brexit Party. He will call a general election where the Brexit party will attack Labour held leave seats. Then will hope for a majority or even get the backing from new Brexit party MPs instead of the DUP MPs.

I'm not so sure. He hasn't even won the Conservative leadership race and I haven't heard about this pact with Brexit party anywhere.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/06/16/exclusive-conservative-donors-open-secret-talks-nigel-farage/

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tory-donors-in-secret-talks-16529947

https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1141248/Brexit-latest-Nigel-Farage-news-Tory-donor-talks-general-election-pact-Brexit-party

https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/brexit-party-claim-talks-with-tory-donors-1-6036368

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9309594/tories-pact-nigel-farage-general-election-johnson/

Your welcome.

I would invite you to read the content of those articles. They don't amount to a hill of beans.

A source close to the talks told the newspaper they were "very preliminary", adding "you have to get Boris on board and that is going to be very tricky".
Boris Johnson ally James Cleverly played down talk of a pact today but didn't rule one out.
He said Mr Johnson didn't make pacts as Mayor of London so "I can't imagine" he will do so now.

If the Tories entered into an electoral pact with the Brexit party it would be electoral suicide.
The DUP will never support a NI only backstop. There is no price that they would consider. Anyone who thinks there is, is deluded.

Wake up man.  Could you provide any examples of instances when the DUP's position could not be moved when money was waved in front of them?  Because I can provide countless examples where the opposite is true.  Paisley, the devout Christian that he is, championed the cause of a blatantly anti-Christian government when they offered him a couple of nice holidays!

Anyway, I suspect that money might not be required.  The DUP will agree to this when they finally wake up to the reality that the alternative (in the medium term) is likely to be the reunification of Ireland.

Ok. Whatever. The DUP will wake up and agree. We'll go with that idea sure.

I suspect they've already woken up.  I think they're looking for any excuse to change but they just can't be seen to do such a blatant u-turn.

Reckon it'll play out like JC has said.  A few titles, a few quid, a bit of fancy re-wording and hey presto.

Have you taken a blow to the head? Are you feeling ok? You're talking like someone who's not familiar with NI political parties.

[Franko]

Boris's Brexit plan is just to remove backstop from Withdrawal Agreement. No more and no less.

Will the EU budge in October to get a deal done?

I think he will go for a NI only backstop. The EU would be happy with this also. The DUP obviously won't but they will be under the bus at that stage.

How does he get his deal with a NI only backstop through parliament?

That's the £1Billion pound question.

This is a staggering level of ignorance of the DUP and their position. They will never (and never is a long time) accept an NI only backstop. 1 billion. 10 billion, 100 billion! Doesn't matter!
So given Parliaments arithmetic, I will ask again. How does he get his deal with a NI only backstop through Parliament?

He is already working on an electrol pact with the Brexit Party. He will call a general election where the Brexit party will attack Labour held leave seats. Then will hope for a majority or even get the backing from new Brexit party MPs instead of the DUP MPs.

I'm not so sure. He hasn't even won the Conservative leadership race and I haven't heard about this pact with Brexit party anywhere.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/06/16/exclusive-conservative-donors-open-secret-talks-nigel-farage/

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tory-donors-in-secret-talks-16529947

https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1141248/Brexit-latest-Nigel-Farage-news-Tory-donor-talks-general-election-pact-Brexit-party

https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/brexit-party-claim-talks-with-tory-donors-1-6036368

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9309594/tories-pact-nigel-farage-general-election-johnson/

Your welcome.

I would invite you to read the content of those articles. They don't amount to a hill of beans.

A source close to the talks told the newspaper they were "very preliminary", adding "you have to get Boris on board and that is going to be very tricky".
Boris Johnson ally James Cleverly played down talk of a pact today but didn't rule one out.
He said Mr Johnson didn't make pacts as Mayor of London so "I can't imagine" he will do so now.

If the Tories entered into an electoral pact with the Brexit party it would be electoral suicide.
The DUP will never support a NI only backstop. There is no price that they would consider. Anyone who thinks there is, is deluded.

Wake up man.  Could you provide any examples of instances when the DUP's position could not be moved when money was waved in front of them?  Because I can provide countless examples where the opposite is true.  Paisley, the devout Christian that he is, championed the cause of a blatantly anti-Christian government when they offered him a couple of nice holidays!

Anyway, I suspect that money might not be required.  The DUP will agree to this when they finally wake up to the reality that the alternative (in the medium term) is likely to be the reunification of Ireland.

Ok. Whatever. The DUP will wake up and agree. We'll go with that idea sure.

I suspect they've already woken up.  I think they're looking for any excuse to change but they just can't be seen to do such a blatant u-turn.

Reckon it'll play out like JC has said.  A few titles, a few quid, a bit of fancy re-wording and hey presto.

Have you taken a blow to the head? Are you feeling ok? You're talking like someone who's not familiar with NI political parties.

Yeah yeah, play the man etc etc.

What the DUP do and what the DUP be seen to do are entirely different things.  They'll support whatever it takes to keep the gravy train rolling as long as it can be worded in such a way that they can publicly defend it.

[haranguerer]

A UI created without the consent of a sizeable majority of the combined communities of the North would not be sweet for anyone on the island.

Quit with this absolute crap. Are you anti-democracy?

[under the bar]

That might have been slightly possible when Uniomists were a 2 to 1 majority.
No chance now with Nationalists/ Unionists  virtually level plus about 15 to 20% non aligned, not to mention the GFA and 2 Governments.

You're presuming that it's NI's current borders or nothing. There would be a strong chance that should the opportunity arise, the instigators would be willing to "cut loose" many of the nominally nationalist or non-PUL parts of present day NI that would be effectively handed to the Republic. It would be repartition part deux - a new "Ulster" to them. The problem with any redrawing of boundaries is that it would be simple and not so simple at the same time, the possibility of enclaves & exclaves etc.

That will never happen dude. Everyone agrees that partition was a disaster so they won't repeat the mistake. Best the Loyalists areas could hope for is a degree of self governance in a UI.